School Bullying: Parents Frustrated With How Schools Are Handling Bullying Incidents

School bullying is a destructive habit that can damage students' school performance, reduce their self-esteem and drive some to commit suicide. As schools continue to find ways to address school bullying, many parents are complaining and frustrated with how schools are currently handling bullying incidents.

One parent who experienced great frustration with the way schools deal with school bullying is Lisa Woodward, the Independent Record reports. Woodward is a mother who had difficulties getting access to a form that would allow her to document the school bullying her kids have suffered since they moved to Laurel three years ago.

Woordward's 14-year-old son Taylor had filled out several report forms, but felt that the incidents were not taken seriously by the school. He acknowledged that teachers talked to him and the bullies, but he did not see any result. The constant school bullying that Taylor experienced has made him feel "depressed and despondent."

"Something needs to happen when bullying happens," Woodward told the Independent Record. "I think parents need to be contacted when their kids turn in a purple form."

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Another parent who felt frstrated with how schools handle school bullying is Kelly Bergsing. He is a father of a child who experienced school bullying at Park High School during his freshman year.

Bergsing's son experienced having his shampoo bottle filled with urine of a high school basketball player. Bergsing said that his son's grades started to decline when the school bullying started and that teachers knew about the incident but did not do anything it.

Bergsing did not even know that there was an official report form about the incident until he talked to a member of the school board to express his frustration about how the school is handling school bullying. His son eventually decided not file a report because he got scared of the bullies' retaliation.

"[The Board of Trustees] discussed bullying every year as part of our strategic plan, dealing with the safety of our kids. So it's not something new, but we can always improve on it," Doug Lebrun, Laurel School District Board of Trustees chairman, told the Independent Record.

Lebrun added that a committee has been appointed to review and revise the school district's current policy on school bullying. Possible revisions include giving schools a standardized time frame on when to contact parents about school bullying incidents.

School bullying should be completely stopped because its emotional and mental effects on a person can last a lifetime, Education.com shares. Other serious effects of school bullying include anxiety, depression, loneliness, social withdrawal and a higher risk for alcohol and drug abuse.